ADONI-ZEDEC - i. e “Lord of righteousness” (compare Melchizedek, “King of righteousness”); probably an official title of the Jebusite kings. JERUSALEM - i. e. “foundation of peace,” compare Genesis 14:18. The city belonged to the inheritance of Benjamin Joshua 18:28, but was on the very edge of the... [ Continue Reading ]
For Hebron, see Genesis 13:18. Jarmuth, afterward one of the cities of Judah Joshua 15:35, is probably identified with the modern Yarmuk. Lachish was also a city of Judah Joshua 15:39, and, like Jarmuth, occupied by Jews after the captivity, Neh. 11:39. It was fortified by Rehoboam after the revolt... [ Continue Reading ]
The language reflects the urgency of the crisis. Accordingly Joshua made a forced march, accompanied only by his soldiers Joshua 10:7, and accomplished in a single night the distance from Gilgal to Gibeon (about 15 miles in a direct line), which on a former occasion had been a three days’ journey Jo... [ Continue Reading ]
BETH-HORON - The two places of this name, the upper and the lower Beth-horon (marginal reference), are identified with the villages Beit-ur el Foka (the upper) and Beit-ur et Tahta (the lower): Beit-ur being probably a corruption of Beth-horon. The name itself (“house of caves”) points to the exceed... [ Continue Reading ]
Compare Ecclesiasticus 46:6. Frightful storms occasionally sweep over the hills of Judaea; but this was evidently a miraculous occurrence, like the hail which smote Egypt Exodus 9:24 and the tempest which fell on the Philistines at Ebenezer 1 Samuel 7:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
These four verses seem to be a fragment or extract taken from some other and independent source and inserted into the thread of the narrative after it had been completed, and inserted most probably by another hand than that of the author of the Book of Joshua. It is probable that Joshua 10:12 and t... [ Continue Reading ]
The thread of the narrative, broken by the four intermediate verses, Joshua 10:12, is now resumed from Joshua 10:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
Joshua himself remained at Makkedah with the guards set before the cave. The other warriors would not return from the pursuit until the evening of the overthrow of the Amorites; and the execution of the kings and the capture of Makkedah itself belong, no doubt, to the day following Joshua 10:27. NO... [ Continue Reading ]
PUT YOUR FEET UPON THE NECKS OF THESE KINGS - A symbol of complete subjugation (compare the marginal references and 1 Corinthians 15:25).... [ Continue Reading ]
LIBNAH - The word means “white” or “distinct,” and undoubtedly points to some natural feature of the spot, perhaps the “Garde Blanche” of the Crusaders, a castle which stood on or near the white cliffs which bound the plain of Philistia to the east opposite to Ascalon. It was in the southern part of... [ Continue Reading ]
Gezer lies on the southern border of the tribe of Ephraim Joshua 16:3. It was considerably to the northward of Joshua’s present line of operations, and does not appear to have been captured at this time. He contented himself for the present with repulsing the attack made upon him, killed Horam (comp... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KING THEREOF - No doubt the successor of the king slain at Makkedah Joshua 10:23. ALL THE CITIES THEREOF - i. e. the smaller towns dependent upon Hebron. The expression marks Hebron as the metropolis of other subject towns.... [ Continue Reading ]
JOSHUA RETURNED - The words mark a change in the direction of the march. Joshua from Hebron turned to the southwest, and attacked Debir or Kirjath-sepher and its dependencies Joshua 15:15.... [ Continue Reading ]
See Joshua 9:1. “The south” was the Negeb Numbers 13:17. Render “the springs” “slopes.” The word here means the district of undulating ground between “the vale” (or שׁפלה _sh__e__phêlâh_) last named and “the hills.”... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM KADESH-BARNEA UNTO GAZA - Numbers 13:26 This limits Joshua’s conquests on the west, as the other line, “all the country of Goshen unto Gibeon,” does on the east. Goshen Joshua 15:51 has not been identified. It was in the southern part of the territory of Judah, and is, of course, quite distinct... [ Continue Reading ]
AT ONE TIME - i. e. in one campaign or expedition, which no doubt lasted some days, or perhaps weeks (compare Joshua 11:18).... [ Continue Reading ]